Caster



Feb., 5, 1924. i vv, s. SIMPSON CASTER Filed April 17.- 1922 www? To allwhoa?l t'fmfay concern WALTER S. SIMPSON, 0F CNTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TOTHE UNITED ELECTRIC COM- PANY, 0F. CANTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION 0F OHIO.

amasar cesa.

v Application mea April 17, 1922. Serin ne. ceases. v

Be it known that I, WAUrER S. SIMPSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Casters, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to casters for the rear .end of portable vacuumcleaners or imsmuse wherein'it is desirable to adjust thecaster'vertically with reference tothe machine, to tilt the same upwardor downward upon its forward wheels, and wherein the vibration of themachine tends to change the adjustment of the caster; and the objects ofthe improvement are .to provide a simple means for adjusting such acastei to -f any desired position and for stopping or holdingit in thevarious positions. 4

-More generally, the invention involves means for adjusting 4twoseparable parts, oneA of which parts carries an adjusting screw swivellyconnected to the other part, whereby the parts may be separated orbrought toward each other and held in any given-position of adjustment.-

An application of the`invention is illusl trated in the accompanyingdrawings, forming part hereof, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation ofa portable machine showing the improved caster thereon;

Fig. 2, a fragmentary ysection on line 2-2,

i Fig. 1;

ig. 3, a perspective view of the bracket;

Fig. 4, a fragmentary perspective View of a portion of the caster arm.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout thel drawing.

For the purpose of illustrating the appli-- cation of the inventionA toa portable machine, a vacuum cleaner of any usual type is illustratedand comprises the fan casing l, having the usual suction shoe orcleaning nozzle 2 at its forward end and supporting the motor casing 8,the discharge neck 4 being located at the rear end of the casing andcommunicating with the dust collectingk bag 5, a handle bail 6 beingpivotall connected to opposite sides of the casing or the purpose ofmanipulating the `machine toand fro upon the door. A

Machines of this type are usually provided with a caster 7 on each sidein rear et chine; and for the purpose of limiting the 1 downwardmovement, a rear caster 8 is usually employed.l

By making this rear caster adjustable upward and downward with referenceto the rear end of the machine, the normal position of the nozzle withreference to the ioor or carpet can be varied at will.

For the purpose of the present invention, the rear caster is preferablymounted be-v tween the forks of the bracket 9 which is swivellyconnected to the rear end of the caster arm 10, the forward end of saidarm being provided with the ears 11 pivotally connected to the ears 12of the bracket 13 by means of a pin 14. y

The bracket 13 is fixed to the under side of the fan casing as by thescrews 15 and is provided with the bearing 16 extending'upward at oneside of the casing, the spindle 17 of the internally threaded bearing 18being journaled therein.

The caster arm 10 is provided on its under side with a tubular bearingportion 19 within which 'the spindle 20 is journaled` said spindlecarrying at its outer end a head 21 having a transverse bore 22therethrough. The adjusting screw 23 is provided with a knurled head 24conveniently located at the side of the rear of the machine, saidy screwbeing located through the threaded bearing 18 and having the reducedshank 24 swivelled within the bore of the head 21` a washer 25 beingixed uponthe lower end of the shank and coacting with the shoulder 26 ofthe screw to prevent longitudinal f movement f the screw within the head21.

The parts are so arranged and propor- /tioned that as the screw 23 isadjusted` the tion and the vacuum cleaner may be lifted :from the flooreither bodily or at its rear end without disturbing the adjustment ofthecaster arm.

The axis of the stem of the rear caster 8 is so located with referenceto the arm 10 that when the forward lip of t-he nozzle is close to theHoor, this axis of the rear caster stem is perpendicular to the floor inorder to minimize the eect of dipping of the forward lip of the nozzle,due to the reversal of the rear caster as the machine is moved to andfro or turned upon the floor.

1. A casterfor vacuum cleaners or the like including an arm pivotedthereto at one end and having a caster at the other end bearings 0n thecleaner and arm and an adjusting screw on one .of the bearings andswivelled to the other bearing.

2. A caster for vacuum cleaners or the like including an arm pivotedthereto at one end and having a caster at the other end and anadjusting' screw on the vacuum cleaner and swivelled to the arm.

3. A caster for vacuum cleaners or the like including an arm pivoted tothe cleaner at one end and having a caster at the other end,

ried by the bearing and swivelled to the arm.

4. A caster for vacuum cleaners or the likeV including an arm pivoted tothe cleaner at one end and having a caster at the other end, a screwthreaded bearing swivelled on the vacuum cleaner, a bearing swivelled onthe arm andan adjustingr screw ried by the threaded bearing andswivelled to the 'arm bearing.

5. .In combination, a bracket having ears, an arm having ears at one endpivoted to the ears upn'the bracket and having` a caster at its otherend, a screw threaded bearing swivelled upon the bracket, a bea-ringswivelled upon the arm and I'an adjusting screw carried by the threadedbearing and having a 'reduc-ed shank swivelled to the arm bearing. f, v

6. In combination a.y bracket, an arm pivoted at one end upon thebracket and having a caster at its other end, bearings swivelled on thearm and bracket and an yadjusting.screw in one bearing swivelled to@ALTER s. SIMPSON.

